You destroy the ring so no papal bulls can be sealed (still part of the legal formalities) during the vacant see; once the new pontiff is elevated, they create a new ring which will in turn be destroyed at his death or resignation. Basically, it's a security thing left over from the Middle Ages, and one of the likely more fun duties in what is usually a distressing job ( dealing with the death of a pope)- I mean, seriously, how often do you get to take a hammer to a golden seal ring!?

You destroy the ring so no papal bulls can be sealed (still part of the legal formalities) during the vacant see; once the new pontiff is elevated, they create a new ring which will in turn be destroyed at his death or resignation. Basically, it's a security thing left over from the Middle Ages, and one of the likely more fun duties in what is usually a distressing job ( dealing with the death of a pope)- I mean, seriously, how often do you get to take a hammer to a golden seal ring!?

The papal bulls aren't sealed with the actual fisherman's ring any more, but it's still a ceremonial thing. Each pope gets a personalized signet ring, and when he dies, it's destroyed so nobody can back date a document and name themselves "Cardinal of Eat My Dick" or something.

It's kind of obvious but the only shoes I want this corrupt fark to be wearing are either prison issue or concrete. Won't happen though since he gets to live his retirement out inside the Vatican, so even if it's proven that he personally ordered the mass buggering of altar boys in St. Peter's Square, he'll never answer for it.

Seriously, the only reason we can even joke about this twisted bastard is that this is the internet and we joke about everyone from Hitler to Albert Fish here.

You destroy the ring so no papal bulls can be sealed (still part of the legal formalities) during the vacant see; once the new pontiff is elevated, they create a new ring which will in turn be destroyed at his death or resignation. Basically, it's a security thing left over from the Middle Ages, and one of the likely more fun duties in what is usually a distressing job ( dealing with the death of a pope)- I mean, seriously, how often do you get to take a hammer to a golden seal ring!?

You destroy the ring so no papal bulls can be sealed (still part of the legal formalities) during the vacant see; once the new pontiff is elevated, they create a new ring which will in turn be destroyed at his death or resignation. Basically, it's a security thing left over from the Middle Ages, and one of the likely more fun duties in what is usually a distressing job ( dealing with the death of a pope)- I mean, seriously, how often do you get to take a hammer to a golden seal ring!?

The papal bulls aren't sealed with the actual fisherman's ring any more, but it's still a ceremonial thing. Each pope gets a personalized signet ring, and when he dies, it's destroyed so nobody can back date a document and name themselves "Cardinal of Eat My Dick" or something.

Thank you; I lose track of some details, and it's nice to have someone with better info come along to fill the gaps & correct the errors for me!

You destroy the ring so no papal bulls can be sealed (still part of the legal formalities) during the vacant see; once the new pontiff is elevated, they create a new ring which will in turn be destroyed at his death or resignation. Basically, it's a security thing left over from the Middle Ages, and one of the likely more fun duties in what is usually a distressing job ( dealing with the death of a pope)- I mean, seriously, how often do you get to take a hammer to a golden seal ring!?

The papal bulls aren't sealed with the actual fisherman's ring any more, but it's still a ceremonial thing. Each pope gets a personalized signet ring, and when he dies, it's destroyed so nobody can back date a document and name themselves "Cardinal of Eat My Dick" or something.

Thank you; I lose track of some details, and it's nice to have someone with better info come along to fill the gaps & correct the errors for me!

Or the idea of the trinity. Or why your particular brand of Protestant immerses or doesn't during baptism.

I believe in one God,But then I believe in Three,I'll believe in twenty gods,If they'll believe in me.

That's a fact.Shake on that.No taking back.

This is actually the origin of Unitarianism. A group that got chased all over Europe right behind the gypsies and Jews but eventually became one of the more free thinking of all the "organized" religions (the joke is I am a member of no organized religion, I'm a UU).

macadamnut:The next Pope will have him killed anyway. You don't leave a pretender hanging around.

Lonestar:DaWormyPimpsta: Doesn't matter what he wears. The man will be dead before Easter.

Most likely poisoned, or killed by the unseen blade of a master assassin, in his special sanctum.

You know the previous Pope, number 264, John Paul II was supposedly born on an eclipse and buried on an eclipse. I always figured he was killed so that he could be buried on the eclipse, because superstition. He had been very ill and lingered near death for 2 months, he had sepsis after an operation gone bad, looked it up and sure enough they did not let him into a hospital but kept him in his apartments, the poor bastard, no doubt so that they could end it quietly just in time for the funeral on an eclipse and say that it was the magical symbolic workings of God. Seems like a damned shame to do that to your top guy after he gave his life in service. Reminded me of that opening scene in The Last Emperor where the courtiers hung around waiting for the Dowager to die then crammed a giant black pearl in her mouth

rnatalie:I suggest an alternative reason for them taking J2P2 to his apartments. They wanted him to die like a pope, no like some science fiction movie artificial head kept alive by machines and tubes.

He'd better watch it, then, because dying like a pope can mean all sorts of things... Thrown into the sea with an anchor around his neck, beheading, beaten to death by a lover's jealous husband, poisoning, head smashed with a hammer (or both, in one case!), strangling, buried by a collapsing roof, starvation, malaria, or thrown down a well by a mob, etc.

rnatalie:I suggest an alternative reason for them taking J2P2 to his apartments. They wanted him to die like a pope, no like some science fiction movie artificial head kept alive by machines and tubes.

Never go to hospitals! They will keep you alive like an artificial head! You know you don't want that!